Nomenclature

Species name:

Allium dentiferum   Webb & Berthel.

Author(s):

Philip Barker Webb
   France, Portugal, United Kingdom, 1793-1854

Sabin Berthelot
   France, 1794-1880

Common name:

Pale Garlic

Maltese name:

Tewm Safrani

Plant Family:

Alliaceae   (Onion Family)

Name Derivation:

Allium = Garlic (Latin);

dentiferum = __ (Latin).

Synonyms:

Allium paniculatum var. paniculatum

Remarks:

According to local botanists, this species was wrongly given the name of Allium paniculatum and this taxon can be seen in several old publications. As a matter of fact, A. paniculatum (the panicle onion) is not found in Malta.

Plant Description

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Habitat:

Fallow fields, country paths and disturbed ground (especially beside arable areas).

Sources in Malta:

Rare, few specimen encountered in Gnejna. Previously reported in Buskett, Girgenti, Mtahleb, Wied babu, Ghajn Tuffieha as well as in few palces in gozo (Nadur, Mgarr)

Plant Height:

30-80cm

Flowering Time:

May-Jul

A perennial plant native to southern Europe which grows from an oval, underground bulb that is covered by a thin, flexible, semi-transparent tunic. Plants have a mild onion odor (or sometimes even lack it) when crushed.

In adult plants, 3 to 5 leaves are formed, which emerge up to about half the length of the scape. They are very long - equal or longer from the scape length, flaccid and have a semi-circular cross-section with an underside groove. A distinguishable characteristic of this Allium species is the spathe. Initially it has an elongated oval body, striped in green and pale green, and possessing a characteristic long, tapering tip that can reach up to 20cm in length. On blossoming, the spathe opens up into two halves each assuming a horizontal position and becoming papery and light brown.

The inflorescense is an umbel of many flowers having generally a white colour 'stained' with beige, pale green or dirty pink. The lower flowers are often found drooping down while the middle and upper ones are erect or spreading out. Umbel without bulbils; flower pedicels of unequal length.

The mature corolla has the shape of a cup, hence with a broad and circular opening or rim. This is formed by 6 sub-erect, identical and overlapping tepals thar are oblong with a flat-rounded tip. The superior, central, green ovary has a white style and slightly swollen stigma. The stamens are slightly shorter or as long as the tepals and so, the pale yellow anthers are usually found at the corolla rim or just protruding out.

The fruit, as in almost all Alliums, is a trigomous loculicidal-dehiscent fruit capsule, about 4mm long when fully mature that splits open int 3 equal parts so as to liberate its tiny (1-2mm) black seeds.

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